Frank



(No Model.)

' F. O. TBOWBRIDGE.

CARPET $TRETGHER. No. 419,979. Patented Jan. 21, 1890.

WITNES ES: m lNVENTQB v ATTORNEYS UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK. O. TROW' BRIDGE, OF SYRACUSE, NElV YORK, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TOMARTIN J. MARA, OF SAME PLACE.

CARPET-STRETCHER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 419,979, dated January21, 1890. Application filed April 8, 1889. Serial No. 305,897. (Nomodel.)

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, FRANK. O. TROWBRIDGE, of Syracuse, in the county ofOnondaga, in the State of New York, have invented new and usefulImprovements in Carpet-Stretchcrs, of which the following, taken inconnection with the accompanying drawings, is a full, clear, and exactdescription.

This invention relates to the class of carpet-stretchers in which afoot-board armed with teeth adapted to engage the carpet is operated bya lever coupled to the said board; and my invention consists in theimproved construction and combination of parts, constituting a simple,inexpensive, and very con- Venient and most .eiiicient carpet-stretchingdevice, as hereinafter fully described and specitically claimed.

In the annexed drawings, Figure 1 is a perspectiveview of myimprovedcarpet-stretcher. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is aninverted plan view of the foot-board; and Fig. 4 is a transverse sectionon line a: to, Fig. 3.

Similarletters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

A represents a wooden board. The front edge I protect by a metallicfacing c. To the under side of said board I attach wire rods d d d, andpreferably countersink them in the board so as not to unduly wear thecarpet. The front ends of these wire rods project through the metallicfacing c, and are thereby sustained laterally, while the rear endsthereof are bent at right angles and are inserted vertically in theboard A, and are thus prevented from turning. To the central portions ofthe side edges of the board I attach eyebolts or screweyes t, on which Ihang the wire bail b, the central portion of which is extended over theboard A.

L represents a lever by which the stretcher is operated. Said lever isarmed with a spike f at its lower end, so as to enable it to retain asecure hold in the floor during the operation of the carpet stretcher,and a short distance above the lower end of the lever the hook h isattached to its side, 011 which hook the central portion of the bail ishung during 5 the operation of the stretcher, said bail being readilydetached from the hook when the carpet-stretcher is not in use.

c 6 denote two spurs, which are formed in one piece with a cross-bar e.Said spurs are hinged closely to the rear face of the board A by meansof staples Z Z, driven into the board and embracing the bar 6 at itsjunctions with the spurs c e, as illustrated in Fig. 1 ofthe drawings.

The close hinged connection of the spurs e e to the rear of the board A,with the bail Z) connected to the central portions of the side edges ofthe board, is a very important fea ture of my invention, inasmuch as itallows the operator to adjust the spurs into their operative positionsby merely a pressure of the operators foot alternately on top of thefront and rear portions of the board A, as hereinafter explained.

My improved carpet-stretcher is operated as follows: The foot-board'A isplaced upon the portion of the carpet to be stretched. The lever L,connected to the bail b, is placed with its spike f on the floor infront of the board A, and with the upper end of the lever inclinedrearward. Then by the pressure .of the operators foot upon the top ofthe front portion of the board and slightly pushing the top of the leverforward the board is tilted forward, which action is allowed by theconnection of the bail b with the central portion of the side edge ofthe board and'by the bail passing over the top of the front of theboard.

By tilting the board as aforesaid the front ends of the wire rods (Z dcl are caused to engage the carpet. Then by pressing the up per end ofthe lever L farther forward the aforesaid board is drawn toward the footof the lever, and thus the carpet is stretched. During the stretchingoperation the operator presses with his foot upon the board, so as totilt it slightly rearward and thereby prevent the teeth or rods (Z d dfrom engaging the floor. During the said movement of the stretcher thespurs e e drag behind the board. Then after the carpet has beenstretched, as aforesaid, the operator presses again on the front portionof the board, and thereby tilts said board, so as to raise the rear endthereof sufliciently to allow the spurs e e to stand erect. Then theoperator by pressing his foot upon the rear portion of the board theaforesaid spurs are forced into the floor, and the board A is thusretained in its position.

Another salient feature of my invention is its simplicity ofconstruction, the board A being easily formed of a plain piece oftirnber, the metallic facing being easily tacked onto the front thereof,the spurs e e being easily bent from a piece of Wire. The staples Z Zare readily driven into the board to hinge the spurs thereon. The screweyes it are likewise easily applied to the side edges of the board, andthe bail h is easily bent out of a piece of Wire and hooked onto theaforesaid sorew-eyes. Y

My improved carpet-stretcher is also adapted to be folded in a neat andcompact inanner, ie fim w a t bai b s ead y m ieie'ked from el ve L-errin hus es be m invent n, I Claiman article of manufacture, acarpetinserted vertically in the said bo ard,'the bail I), hung on "thecentral portions of the side edges of the board and extending over thefront thereof, the lever L, connected to said hail, the spurs e 6,formed in one piece with the cross-bar e, and the staples l 1, attachedto the rear face of the board and embracing the'har a at its junctionswith the spurs e e and hinging the said spurs close to the board,substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto signed m name t th d yi Marh-1889.-

K-.1 TB WDGE- e -1 Witnesses:

